Dickinson Commission ends YouTube livestreams without notice

DICKINSON — In a quiet but consequential move, the Dickinson City Commission voted Tuesday to end its longstanding practice of livestreaming meetings on YouTube — a decision made without prior public notice or agenda listing. The motion, introduced by Mayor Scott Decker during the “commissioner comments” portion at the end of the meeting, was not previously announced and was passed following minimal discussion. The measure carried with a 3-1 vote. Decker and Commissioners Jason Fridrich and Dr. Robert Baer supported the change, while Commissioner Joe Ridl voted against it. With Commissioner John Odermann’s resignation earlier this year, his seat remains vacant, leaving only four commissioners currently serving. The city began livestreaming its biweekly commission meetings in 2020 as a response to COVID-19 restrictions on in-person attendance. Since then, it has become a routine part of city communications. The city’s YouTube channel contains archived meetings dating back more than a decade. The City of Dickinson is provided Public Access Channel 19 free of charge through a Broadcast franchise agreement with Consolidated Telcom. Dickinson Press file photo Decker said the city is not legally obligated to provide YouTube livestreams and cited its agreement with Consolidated Telecom, which broadcasts meetings live on local
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